Muslims want to give the BJP a chance, says party leader

Shah Nawaz Hussain, Bharatiya Janata Party Member of Parliament from Bhagalpur, Bihar, said that Muslims in India are outraged with Indo-US nuclear deal.

"Having tried all other parties, Muslims now want to try the BJP and give L K Advani a chance," Hussain claimed.

"Their anger is directed towards the government headed by Dr Manmohan Singh as the United States has an upper edge in the deal," Hussain said.

M Venkaiah Naidu, a former party president, accused television news channel CNN-IBN of not airing the controversial sting tapes which exposed the notes for votes scandal due to pressure from the government and a corporate house.

CNN-IBN editor-in-chiefRajdeep Sardesai in an interview with rediff.com had justified the channel's decision not to air the tapes. "Since when have the channels have started airing programmes at the dictates of a political party," he said.

Sardesai was annoyed that the BJP MPs on a directive from Shah Nawaz Hussain decided expose the deal and flashed the currency notes in the Lok Sabha. CNN IBN withheld the tapes till evening of July 24, after which they were delivered to the speaker's office.

The BJP is also upset that the channel appointed Harish Salve as its lawyer in the case. Salve also represents Samajwadi Party leader Amar Singh, who the BJP alleges is implicated in the tapes.

"The BJP has been compelled to decide that it will boycott CNN-IBN and all channels related to it till such a time as the unedited tapes of the sting are telecast," Naidu said in a written statement issued on behalf of the party. The party called upon CNN-IBN to revise its policy and telecast the original tapes so that the government in power is exposed.